Easy Tequila Lime Chicken Enchiladas – doesn’t just hearing the name make you hungry? Well, wait until you taste this delicious, easy chicken enchiladas casserole, you will become a believer!
This recipe for Easy Tequila Lime Chicken Enchiladas, is somewhat different from authentic chicken enchiladas and features shredded chicken marinated in tequila, lime juice and a “secret” ingredient, brown sugar. All of this sweet deliciousness is then wrapped up in a tortilla along with some cheese and topped with an out-of-this-world salsa verde sauce, Crema which is Mexican style cream and yes, even more, cheese.
Take my word for it; this dish is really, really, really, good! It will make you want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo all year long. Ole!
I did a taste testing with some friends the other night, and everyone loved them, even coming back for seconds. Then my husband and I had leftovers for dinner last night, and they were as good if not better. Don’t you love it when a plan comes together, and you have enough of a great dish for leftovers the next night, so you don’t have to cook! I have to confess, as much as I love to cook, I also love it when I don’t have to cook!
Love enchiladas? You might also be interested in these other yummy enchilada recipes: Avocado Lime Chicken Enchiladas, Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas, and Easy Honey Lime Turkey Enchiladas! They are all awesome!
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How to make Easy Tequila Lime Chicken Enchilada recipe.
If you’re ready to get started, then gather your ingredients and let’s get cooking!
The ingredients you will need are tequila, brown sugar, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, chicken, flour tortillas, Monterey jack cheese or a Mexican blend, green enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and Crema which is Mexican cream. (If you can’t find Crema, you can substitute heavy cream.
I know it sounds like a long list, but it comes together quickly.
The chicken does need to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, and it’s even better if it can go longer, so plan accordingly.
To make the marinade, mix the tequila, brown sugar, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl until the brown sugar is dissolved. (If you don’t want to use tequila, you can substitute water. You can also substitute honey, pure maple syrup or corn syrup for the brown sugar.)
Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a plastic storage bag and pour in the marinade making sure all of the chicken pieces are saturated. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the better.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce with the salsa verde and Crema. (You can substitute sour cream thinned with a little cream or heavy cream for the Mexican Crema. Publix has Crema in the dairy section next to the cheese. If you have never had it, try it.)
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray to make cleanup later a snap. Pour 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish and spread out.
Drain the chicken mixture and reserve any remaining marinade. Mix the chicken with 3 cups of the shredded cheese.
Put a heaping 1/2-cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla and roll up as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortillas in your baking dish seam side down. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas. You should be able to fit eight enchiladas in the dish.
If you have any leftover marinade, mix it with the sauce you made earlier. Pour this mixture over the enchiladas and top with 1 cup shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve. Enjoy!
Tequila Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts about 4 small or 2 large, cooked and shredded, you can substitute a rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup tequila
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8-10 flour tortillas 10-inch
- 4 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese or a Mexican blend
- 1 cup green enchilada sauce
- 1 cup prepared jarred salsa verde
- 1 cup Crema Mexican cream, can substitute heavy cream
Instructions
- To begin, mix together the tequila, brown sugar, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder until the brown sugar is dissolved. (If you don't want to use tequila, you can substitute water. You can also substitute honey, pure maple syrup or corn syrup for the brown sugar.)
- Place the shredded chicken in a plastic storage bag and pour in the marinade making sure all of the chicken pieces are saturated. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the better. (I usually either roast or boil my chicken breasts until done and then shred. I also usually cook at least double or triple how many chicken breasts I need and then freeze what I don't use to use at a later time. To save time, you can also use a rotisserie chicken from your favorite grocery deli.)
- When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- To begin, mix 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce with the salsa verde and Crema. (You can substitute sour cream thinned with a little cream or heavy cream for the Mexican Crema.
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray to make cleanup later a snap. Pour 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish and spread out.
- Drain the chicken mixture and reserve any remaining marinade. Mix the chicken with 3 cups of the shredded cheese.
- Put a heaping 1/2-cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla and roll up as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortillas in your baking dish seam side down. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas. You should be able to fit 8 enchiladas in the dish.
- If you have any leftover marinade, mix it with the sauce you made earlier. Pour this mixture over the enchiladas and top with 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Julie Doherty says
January 1, 2017 at 6:37 pmThis is a wonderful dish! I was wondering if it could be frozen and baked later Chicken is marinating as I write this 🙂
Denise says
May 26, 2018 at 10:34 pmMade this tonight and it was a solid hit. I too would like to know if you think it would freeze well.
Gritsandpinecones says
May 27, 2018 at 1:02 pmHi Denise,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it does freeze well and because it’s just my husband and me, I almost always divide it in half and cook one casserole and freeze one casserole for later.
All my best,
Sharon
Harriet says
May 28, 2019 at 3:41 pmSharon, This recipe is SOOOO good. I’ve fixed it many times and always receive compliments. I’m prompted to leave a comment today because I shared it with my Cookbook Club and everyone really loved it. I can’t tell if it’s the tequila, the lime or the combination of the two that make the taste unexpected and yet so delicious for what you’re thinking a enchilada will taste like. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
Gritsandpinecones says
May 28, 2019 at 4:05 pmHey Harriet, thank you so much for leaving such a sweet comment! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Sharon